ELECTIONS CITY COUNCIL : Police Union Support Key in Heated Races : Politics: Incumbent Diane Boggs apparent winner in close contest. Joyce Lawrence, Gary McCaughan, Barbara Riley elected.

DOWNEY —  Three candidates backed by the local police officers union appear to have won seats on the Downey City Council, out-polling a group of candidates supported by a newly formed citizens group and some influential businessmen.

Councilwoman Diane P. Boggs won election to a third four-year term, but only by a handful of votes. Planning Commissioners Joyce L. Lawrence and Gary McCaughan will join the five-member council after their victories.

Councilwoman Barbara Riley was elected to a fourth seat, a race in which the Downey Police Officers Assn. did not make an endorsement.

Only the post held by Councilman Robert S. Brazelton, whose term expires in 1994, was not up in the election.

One of the biggest surprises was the photo finish in District 1. Downey is divided into four districts, and only the residents of those districts may decide who their council representative will be. But all Downey voters may cast votes for the at-large District 5 seat.

Boggs, who has served the district for eight years, garnered just 47 more votes than her relatively unknown challenger, Johnette Stickel.

Because of the tight race, Stickel said she would not concede defeat until a canvass of contested ballots and those containing write-in votes. Stickel is hoping Texas billionaire Ross Perot’s maverick candidacy carries some good news for her.

Any ballots that contain write-in votes for Perot for president were set aside to be hand-counted. The county registrar-recorder’s office hopes to have the canvass completed by the week of June 22, spokeswoman Marcia Ventura said.

Boggs said she was the victim of a dishonest, hard-hitting mail campaign by Stickel.

One of the mailers said the state Fair Political Practices Commission is investigating Boggs for allegedly funneling $1,000 through her husband, Bob Verderber, to Lawrence’s campaign. Boggs appointed Lawrence, a friend, to the city’s Planning Commission in 1988.

Boggs said Verderber decided by himself to donate to Lawrence’s campaign, and Lawrence reported the contribution weeks ago.

Boggs suspects that Stickel’s supporters filed a complaint with the FPPC, then reported the allegation before the agency decided whether the complaint had any merit. An FPPC spokeswoman said she could not confirm or deny whether Boggs was under investigation.

“We did a couple of pollings during the campaign and you could see the difference after each hit piece landed,” Boggs said. “You shouldn’t have to have your reputation maligned just to run for City Council.”

Stickel, who serves on the city Recreation Community Service Commission, defended her campaign as accurate. Asked whether one of her supporters filed the complaint against Boggs, Stickel said, “Not that I’m aware of.” She said her strong showing indicated that many voters were dissatisfied with Boggs.

“To the best of my knowledge, everything that was in my campaign was accurate and honest,” Stickel said. “The voters have given Diane Boggs a wake-up call.”

The unusually bitter election was set against a backdrop of two key issues: the long-running feud between Police Chief D. Clayton Mayes and his officers and the city’s recession-related financial problems.

The police union decided to enter the race in search of better government, which includes improving the city’s financial condition, spokesman Sgt. William M. Hadley said.

The officers group had backed candidates in past elections, but this was its strongest showing, with more than 20 off-duty officers walking neighborhoods in support of the candidates.

Hadley said the way the council majority treated the officers association during its feud with Mayes provided some of the impetus for the campaign. The feud surfaced publicly in 1990.

The officers union complained, among other things, that Mayes was a picayune administrator who favored some officers, which destroyed department morale.

Mayes denied the allegation and said the unrest was being stirred by a handful of officers who were bitter because they were not promoted.

The dispute peaked in April, 1991, when the officers called for Mayes to be fired. A mediator was called in and a fragile truce was worked out.

But police union representatives said they believe the council majority had virtually ignored their complaints and allowed the dispute to escalate, what they say was a sign of poor government.

The officers say some tensions still exist, but they maintain they did not enter the race to help elect a council majority that would fire Mayes. They said Boggs, Lawrence and McCaughan are the best qualified to serve on the council.

The officers are concerned about the city’s financial condition. Taxes and other city income has dropped because of the recession. As a result, city employees were not given pay raises this year, and the proposed budget does not include any for next year.

“The chief is not an issue,” Hadley said.

Boggs, Lawrence and McCaughan said they will investigate Police Department relations but they made no promises to the officers association.

“Downey’s economy and the recession is the foremost issue,” Lawrence said. “But I need to take a good look at (the Police Department).”

The leader of Downey Taxpayers United, which was formed in March, was outraged that city employees would try to influence the election. Joseph A. Lumsdaine, a Downey lawyer, said it was not proper that council members, who set employee wages, would be beholden to the police officers.

He said he also feared that the officers’ objective was to remove Mayes. Downey Taxpayers sent out a mailer in support of Stickel, James M. Derry, who finished behind McCaughan in District 3, Steve Allen, who lost to Lawrence in District 5, and Riley, who defeated Toby Mileski in District 2.

Council members Robert G. Cormack and Barbara J. Hayden decided not to seek reelection to the District 3 and District 5 seats.

Prominent businessmen and civic leaders Edward DiLoreto and Ronald A. Kolar also supported losing candidates backed by Downey Taxpayers.